Time for Parents to be Parents and let Teachers Teach

What is with this furore about teachers not putting sunscreen on kids? This is a ridiculous escalation of stupidity.

Why would there be any questions over teachers applying sun cream to children? Has our society got so suspicious and judgemental that we cannot see someone helping a child without thinking they have some nefarious agenda? So much so that some schools have a strict no touching rule so that their staff cannot be accused of anything inappropriate. No wonder there are shortages of teachers, sports coaches, youth group volunteers etc.

Now a survey by Garnier Ambre Solaire is suggesting that parents want the rules relaxed so that teachers and other staff may help children put on sunscreen on hot days. Make up your mind, either anyone who wants to work with kids is under suspicion or they are your new best friend helping keep your child safe, you can’t have it both ways.

How about a compromise?

How about maybe the parents take the time in the morning to put sunscreen on their own children before they go to school and put the sunscreen in the child’s bag. Possibly parents could take the time to teach their children how to rub sunscreen onto their own arms, legs, neck and face. Let’s face it, that should be the only parts of a small child’s body exposed to the sun anyway as their skin is still delicate. If at lunchtime the sun is still bright in the sky then the teacher could take 5 minutes from lessons before lunch to allow children to reapply their own sunscreen.

It is not the duty of a school or teacher to make sure a child is safe because a parent has been lacking in their care. It’s time we left the educators to educate and expected parents to parent. Sunscreen, shoelaces, dressing, right and left etc. These should all be taught before a child reaches the school gates.

When we allow parents to abdicate the responsibilities of parenting to schools, we cannot allow the schools to be pilloried for trying to protect themselves and their staff. Especially when accusations could be regarding actions that should have been taken by the parents in the first place to ensure the safety and health of their child.

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